Forgiven
by xMidnight Muse
Summary: While in Aslan's Country, Edmund misses the only missing part of his family. He is given a chance to make things right. EdSu sibling fic. Short and sweet. Reviews appreciated!


Edmund stared out in to the window between the worlds with a rather vacant expression on his face.

Ever since he had asked Aslan a way to make sure things in the "shadow lands" were okay, he found himself checking up on things and people a great deal more than most would think. He especially looked in on one subject in particular.

Susan.

Although Edmund found it hard to admit out loud, he missed his eldest sister something fierce. Things just weren't the same without Susan around.

Sure, Peter and Lucy were around, not to mention all of the others that resided in Aslan's Country.

But none of them, no matter how much they thought they did, really understood him.

It had always seemed to the young Pevensie that the four children were split into small groups.

Peter and Lucy with their fair hair, brave hearts and undying love for all things had always grouped them together in Edmund.'s mind.

But then there were Susan and he: always a small shred of doubt eating at their minds, eyes that hid emotion all too well, never quite confident in things and not as eager to share their thoughts.

To Edmund, Susan had always been his counterpart. She was the only person who could ever really understand what was bothering him and the only one who ever seemed to have the right words to make all of his pain and worry disappear.

And now here he was, and she was there.

It was an incredible life, don't get him wrong, but some things just weren't quite the same.

He sighed deeply as he brought his thoughts back to the window and the sullen face that lay beyond it.

Although it broke his heart to watch her each move, he couldn't help it. He wanted nothing more than to reach in and pull her into this place with him and the others, but he couldn't.

It had surprised him at first when he realized that Susan had not shed a tear for any of them, at least not in public. During their funeral she kept a straight face, her eyes barely betraying the confidence she tried to uphold for an unknown reason. Whenever anyone asked how she was fairing or gave their regrets, she would thank them or assure that everything was fine.

But it was in the night when Susan's true feelings would come out.

At first, Edmund had avoided watching her at night, feeling like a stalker. But after a long thought session, he had to look. She seemed so…untouched by their deaths, and it bothered him.

Now there was a part of him that wished he had never looked during the night.

It seemed that every evening, Susan would simply lie on her bed, tears streaming silently down her face as she would openly tell him, Peter and Lucy how much she missed them, and how she was sorry about everything.

Of course, he wasn't the only Pevensie that had looked in on their lost sister, but he was the only one that had witnessed these nightly rituals. He was almost thankful for that. He knew that the Peter and Lu would desperately overreact, but not Edmund. He knew that this was simply how Susan had to do things, no matter how much it hurt. He understood.

It seemed as though that with the lack of their fourth, the other two were relatively unscathed. They went about their business, only privately mourning for Susan in the company of each other.

It's not to say that they didn't miss her, Aslan no. They missed her deeply, so much that it tore at them everyday. But Edmund's pain was only that much worse.

It was that extra ounce of hurt that caused him to stand at the window each day, watching as Susan went over her daily tasks with a smile on her face, while deep down, Edmund knew she was slowly dying.

"It does not do well to dwell on the past," a voice spoke behind him. Edmund turned his head slightly to see the great lion beside him, following his gaze to Susan.

"You can hardly call it the past. It's not as though she doesn't exist," he protested, the corners of his mouth turning down slightly.

Aslan laughed softly,

"You misinterpret my words. What I mean to say is that it is hardly healthy for you to be dwelling on such things, Son of Adam. She is there, and you are here. Worlds apart."

A silence broke between them for just a few moments.

"Worlds apart doesn't exactly count when it's your family," he finally stated.

"You feel very strongly about this, don't you young one?" Aslan asked, his great head tilting slightly to the side.

"Well yes, of course. She was there my entire life, it's not as though I can just…let her go"

A small noise emitted from the lion, it sounded like a noise of thought,

"So I would assume that you believe none of the "no longer a friend of Narnia" business?"

Once again, Edmund hesitated for a few moments, thinking his answer out completely.

"I find it hard to believe that you yourself would ever deny that you loved Susan. And you would never deny that she was the queen of one of your countries, and a great one at that. I think that you would never turn your back on her, despite the mistakes she's made" he sighed "I know I never will".

"Never is a long time".

Edmund shook his head, "it doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that she's my sister and she always will be. You don't turn your back on someone who was always there for you." He concluded, feeling that he had argued his point well enough.

"What would you do to get her back?" Aslan asked casually.

Edmund's head snapped around to look at the lion again, this time he had widened his eyes only slightly, as if he wouldn't allow himself to believe what he thought the lion was telling him.

"Absolutely anything." He replied without hesitation.

"Anything?"

"Anything."

Aslan paused again to contemplate possible outcomes.

"Son of Adam, would you be willing to go back to the shadow lands, only temporarily of course, and get your sister to agree to come home with you?" he asked, turning his great eyes to look at Susan through the window again.

"More than willing," Edmund assured him, an unidentified emotion building up in his chest.

"Then it will be so. I would like you to go back to your old home and tell your sister of everything that has happened to you, Peter and Lucy since your deaths. After that, and after you have assured her she is not dreaming," he added with a small laugh, "she will plead forgiveness and will be ready to come home"

Edmund nodded in understanding, a strange excitement adding to the unknown emotion he already held. Was it perhaps anxiety? Or something stronger.

Without anymore exchange or words, Alan leaned towards him and breathed a warm stream of air upon him. Unknowingly, Edmund closed his eyes and absorbed himself in the atmosphere of the lion's breath.

When he opened them again, he found himself dressed still in his Narnian clothes, but now standing in his sister's bedroom.

By judgment of the pale, bluish light streaming through the window, he assumed that it was the evening, and his assumption was confirmed when he saw Susan lying across her bed, her arms crossed beneath her head.

Her eyes were closed as tears streamed down her cheeks. No sobs escaped her and her body lay still; anyone who would come in would think she was simply sleeping. But Edmund knew that this only justified his worry over her.

"Susan?" It was a stupid thing to ask, of course it was her, but it was the only way he could think of to get her attention without frightening her.

Susan's eyes shot open as she sat up on her bed. Her eyes took a moment to focus, and when they did, they widened with shock.

"Ed…Edmund? But…how?" She asked him, her eyes scanning over him as if looking for fault.

She then sighed with disappointment as a realization hit her,

"I'm dreaming again aren't I? This is just my subconscious playing dirty tricks on me". Although she spoke these words, there was still a glimmer of unadulterated hope in her eyes.

Edmund couldn't help but smile slightly. It was exactly as Aslan had told him. Despite himself, he chuckled lightly.

"No Susan, this is anything but a dream. It's really me".

He took a step closer to her as she wiped the tears off of her cheeks. Her eyes locked with his, and as she looked in to them, she knew that she wasn't dreaming. Her imagination could never dream up those so familiar eyes so perfectly.

Edmund recognized the look she had and pulled her in to a tight hug. He laughed again as he know remembered how incredibly short she was for her age. Although by now she was almost 20 years old, and he locked merely in the body of a 14 year old, he was actually taller than she was.

Susan then stepped back from him, confusion now etched on her features.

"But how are you here? I saw the bodies, I know that you can't be alive" she asked him, an extreme pain in her voice as she doubted her sanity.

"Aslan sent me of course." When he spoke the name, it seemed as though Susan's eyes seemed to sparkle.

She seemed to hesitate slightly before speaking again,

"How is everyone? Lucy? Peter? Mum? Dad?"

"Fine, everyone is fine. But they all miss you terribly Su, especially Pete and Lu. You should have seen how they would sulk anytime your name was mentioned," he told her with a small smile, which she returned.

"And you? How have you been?" She bit her lip while waiting for a response.

"I've been alright. Like I said, everyone's missed you terribly, and I was certainly no exception to that. Ask anyone when you get there, I could hardly have been counted as a living thing" Edmund reported with a small shrug.

"Wait, when I get there? You mean…I'm coming back with you?" Susan looked so incredibly hopeful and excited, like a little kid all over again. Edmund smiled widely,

"Well of course! You didn't think I'd just come back and then leave you here did you?" he asked her, feigning offense.

"Well, it's impossible to ever know the reason behind Alsan's wishes." She explained, but Edmund knew that this excuse had come from the top of her head. Although it was true, he knew that she had been doubting the situation the entire time.

After a moment though, her excitement was replaced with guilt.

"I shouldn't be allowed to go back. I was terrible to all of you. Claiming that Narnia never existed, I can't believe I ever did that." She frowned as she looked Edmund in the eyes again.

"Can you ever forgive me?" Susan asked simply.

Edmund reached his hand to hers, which she clasped gratefully.

"You were forgiven long before I came here," he assured her with a smile.

It was at that point that a warm breeze floated around them. They both closed their eyes, and when they reopened them, found themselves on a beach by an ocean.

Edmund looked over and smiled widely when he saw that Susan was still beside him, but she had reverted back to her 15 year old self, something she too had realized almost instantly.

She was also dressed in a light pink Narnian dress, her hair fell loosely around her shoulders and her golden tiara sat once more upon her head.

Susan then smiled a wide smile, something Edmund had missed so much. He pulled her in to a crushingly tight hug.

"Welcome home" he told her softly.

She pulled away, still smiling.

"It's good to be home"

oOoOoOo

A/N: Fairy tale ending! What can I say? I love them. Anyway, I feel much more satisfied with this as an Ed/Su sibling fiction. Hope you liked it Aminuleen! Thanks so much for your request! Reviews are very welcome.

Forgiven _is a work of fan fiction. All canon events, characters and settings belong to C.S. Lewis. Only non canon characters, events, settings, and plot belong to me._


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